Automatic gun.



A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

APPLICATION FILED APR-1.1915- 1,262,181. Patented Apr. 9,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M I I a 12 i] i l a 1i 6 I O 8 I umm A T. DAWSON & G. T BUCKHAM.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I. 1315.

Patented, Apr. 9, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. I915.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- A. T. DAWSON 64 G. T. BUCKHAM.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

APPLICATION mso APR. 1. I915.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

4 SHEETSr-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS T VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER,

ENGLAND. 1

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR Tnnvon DAWSON,I I1lgl1t,;1DCl Gnonon Tnontxs BUCK- HAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, \Vestminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful. 1m rovements in or Relating to Automatic uns, of which the following is a specification.

Thismvention relates to a utomatic guns offthewell known kind in which the barrel reeoils and the breech mechanism comprises a reciprocating lock rovided with a verticallymovable cartri ge carrier and adapted to recoil in suitable guides against the resistance of a spring, the lock being con- '{nected to an extension on the barrel by toggle "sot the levers of whichythe rear one (termed the crank) is pivoted to the said extension and the other (termed the connecting to extract the used cartridge case from the barrel and a new one from the cartridgebolt and during the forward movement of the lock to insert the new cartridge into the barrel and eject the. used cartridge case, the

movements of thesaid carrier being effected by lifting levers and by side cams with which lateral horns on the said carrier engage. Thechief object of the present nvention is to so construct and arrange the 1 breech mechanism that a comparatively long recoil of the barrel can be obtained for the purpose of diminishing the. shock on the gun trunnions when the gun is fired.

According to the present invention the mechanism is so constructed and arranged that during therecoil of the barrel the crank .isangularlydisplaced about its axis to initially bend the toggle levers and during the return of the barrel the said crank cont nues itsmovement in the same direction and corn- I pletes the bending of the toggle levers whereby the lock .is'restrained from following the barrel until the latter approaches or reaches it forward position. For this purpose the crank may be provided with a proJection which cooperates with nism casing to prevent the lock from fol- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 7, 1915. Serial No. 19.845.

a stop on the mecha- AUTOMATIC GUN.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

to its forward position by a spring.

The aforesaid cams for controlling the cartridge carrier instead of being stationary as heretofore, are carried by the barrel extension so that the carrier is held in its raised position during the recoil of the barrel togethcr with the look but is permitted to drop during the forward movement of the barrel without the lock.

'In order to avoid the liability of the carrier remaining in its raised position when its horns are clear of the upper surface of the cams (which might happen when the gun is firing at large angles of elevation or depression) we may employ a spring or cam controlled lever 01' arm, pivoted to the mechanism casing, for cotiperating with the carrier or with its horns, so that when these horns are clear of the upper surface of the cams the carrier is moved downward to bring thenew cartridge therein opposite the barrel chamber.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a side elevation, a vertical longitudinal section and a plan (with the cover removed) showing an automatic gun constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal elevation showing the position of the parts when the barrel is at full recoil.

Fig. 5 is a View-similar to Fig. 4, with the barrel in its forward position and the lock on the point of being released to enable it to move forward, and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views showing the position of the aforesaid lever or arm in relation to the side cams and the cartridge carrier, the parts being shown with the barrel in the fully recoiled position, the

barrel returning after recoil and the barrel approaching its forward position.

A is the recoiling barrel, B the reciprocating lock carried in guides in the mechanism casing B, and B the cartridge carrier movably mounted in the lock B. C, C represent the toggle levers of which the lever C,

termed the crank, is pivotally connected by the crank shaft C to an extension A on the barrel, and C is termed the connecting rod and is connected at one end to the crank and at the other end to the lock. D, D are the side cams which'cooperate with horns on the cartridge carrier B represents the aforesaid projection on the crank C and 5 represents its cooperating stops on the mechanism casing B.

In the example shown, the crank has two downward extensions, 0. c carrying rollers 0, 0' which. during the initial recoiling movement of the barrel, cooperate with fixed inclines Z), 6 arranged on the side plates of the mechanism easing. These inclines terminate at their rear in straight guides 6, 6 for the rollers. The aforesaid stop bfor cooperating with the projection 0 on the crank may be in the form of a spring controlled plunger; two such plungers and projections are preferably employed as shown. After the toggle joint has been initially bent by the cooperation of the inclines b, b with the rollers 0, c the continued rearward movement of the crank shaft C carries the projections 0, 0 into contact with beveled .faces on the spring plungers Z), b which are displaced against the resistance of their springs to enable the said projections to pass behind them (Fig. 4.) On the forward movement of the barrel taking place under the influence of its return spring; the front faces of the projections c, c cooperate with the rear faces of the plungers b, I) without lifting the latter, and the barrel moves forward without the lock B, the crank C being further angularly displaced. At the same time the aforesaid side cams D, upon which the horns B on the carrier have been resting (see Figs. 6 and 7) move clear of these horns and the carrier is then moved downward by levers E pivoted to the mechanism casing and controlled by cam surfaces 66 on the side cams D. T he crank C is also formed with arms 0 c which cooperate witlrthe straight portions I), b' of the inclines on the side plates of the mechanism casing .to prevent overthrow of the crank. lVhen the projections 0, 0 move clear of the plungers b, b (Fig. 5) the spiral spring inclosed in the casing C causes the crank C to move the lock toward its forward position by the straightening of the toggle levers.

The mechanism casing carries a spring controlled pivoted pawl (i which, in the event of the recoil movement of the barrel bein insuflicient to enable the horns of the carrier B to become clear of the cams l). I), will lie in the path of the upper portion of the carrier and thus prevent the lock from being moved forward, thereby avoiding the possibility of a cartridge in the belt being fired by the impact therewith of the nose of the cartridge in the carrier.

' Theshaft C of the crank is provided with a handle C by means of which the breech mechanism can be moved into the open position by hand; in this'event, as the side cams D, D for controlling the carrier are attached to the barrel extension which is then stationary, the improved mechanism operates in substantially the same manner as that of the automatic guns at present in use when operated by hand.

lVhat we claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock and the toggle levers for operating it, of means for inltially bending said toggle levers during the recoil movement of the barrel without completely extracting the cartridge case from the barrel durin this movement, and means independent 0 the first mentioned means for completing the-bending of said toggle levers during the forward movement of the barrel to completely extract the cartridge case.

2. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock, and the toggle levers for operating the lock, said toggle levers consisting of a crank and a connecting rod interposed between the crank and the lock, of means cooperating with the crank for initially bending the tog gle levers during the recoil of the barrel, means independent of the first mentioned means for completing the bending of said toggle levers during the forward movement of the barrel and a spring for imparting a reverse movement-to the crank to close the breech as the barrel completes its forward movement.

3. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock, the barrel extension, and the toggle levers for operating the lock, said toggle levers consisting of a spring controlled crank pivoted to the barrel extension and a connecting rod interposed between the crank and the lock, of means cooperating with the crank for initially bending the toggle levers during the recoil of the'barrel. means independent. of the first mentioned means, also cooperating with the crank for completing the bending of said toggle. levers during the forward movement of the barrel, the spring of the crank imparting a reverse movement thereto to close the breech when the crank moves clear of the second mentioned means.

r. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns,- the combination with the lock, the barrel extension, and toggle levers for operating the lock, said toggle. levers consisting of a spring controlled crank pivoted to the barrel extension-and a connecting rod interposed between the crank and the lock, of a projection on said crank, a member having an inclined surface with which said projection cooperates during the recoil of the barrel to. initially bend the toggle levers, means independent of the first mentioned means, cooperating with the crank for completing the bending of said toggle levers during the forward movement of the barrel, the spring of the crank imparting a reverse movement thereto to close the breech when the crank moves clear of the second mentioned means.

5. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock, the barrel extension, and toggle levers for operating the lock, said toggle levers consisting of a spring controlled crank pivoted to the barrel extension and a connecting rod interposed between the crank and the lock, of means coiiperating with said crank for initially bending the toggle levers during the recoil of the barrel, a projection on said crank, a device cooperating with said pro jection for completing the bending of the toggle levers during the forward movement of the barrel, the spring of the crank imparting a reverse movement thereto to close the breech when the projection on the crank moves clear of said device.

6. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock, the barrel extension, and toggle levers for operating the lock, said toggle levers consisting of a crank pivoted to the barrel extension and a connecting rod interposed between the crank and the lock, of a projection on said crank, a member having an inclined surface with which said projection cooperates, during the recoil of the barrel, to initially bend the toggle levers, a second projection on said crank, and a device cooperating with said second projection for completing the bending of the toggle levers during the forward movement of the barrel.

7. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock, the barrel extension, and toggle levers for operating the lock, said toggle levers consisting of a crank pivoted to the barrel extension.

and a connecting rod interposed between the crank and the lock, of a projection on said crank. a member having an inclined surface with which said projection cooperates, during the recoil of thc barrel, to initially bend the toggle levers, a second projection onsaid crank, and a spring plunger which is displaced by said second projection during the recoil movement of the barrel, and with which said second projection cooperates, during the forward movement of the barrel, to complete the bending of the toggle levers.

8. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock, and the toggle levers for operating it, of means for initially bending said levers during the recoil movement of the barrel without completely extracting the cartridge case from the barrel during this movement, means for completing the bending of said toggle levers during the forward movement of the barrel to completely extract the cartridge case, the cartridge carrier, the barrel and a side cam carried by said extens on for controlling the movements of the said carrier.

9. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock and the toggle levers for operating it, of means for initially bending said levers during the re coil movement of the barrel without completely extracting the cartridge case from the barrel during this movement, means for completing the bending of said toggle levers during the forward movement of the barrel to completely extract the cartridge case, the cartridge carrier, a side cam for controlling the movements of said carrier, a member pivoted to a fixed part and adapted to cooperate with said carrier and means for positively causing said member to effect a downward movement of said carrier when the latter is clear of the rear part of the side cam.

10. In the breech mechanism of automatic guns, the combination with the lock and the toggle levers for operating it, of means for initially bending said levers during the recoil movement of the barrel without completely extracting the cartridge case from the barrel during this movement, means for completing the bending of said toggle levers during the forward movement of the barrel to completely extract the cartridge case, the cartridge carrier, an extension on the barrel, :1 side cam carried by said extension for controlling the movements of the said carrier. a member pivoted to a fixed part and adapted to cooperate with said carrier, said side cam having a cam surface for positively causing said member to effect a downward movement of said carrier when the latter is clear of the rear part of the side cam.

In testimony whereof we atlix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAIVSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM. iVitnesses:

IIENRY KING, .Txo. L. (xswnnn an extension on 

